A Fig For A Kiss

slip jig

Key signature: Edorian

Submitted on June 9th 2002 by Josh Kane.

This tune has been added to 732 tunebooks.

Also known as Fig For A Kiss, Figs For A Kiss, Gáire Na MBán, The Old Dutch Churn, The Splashing Of The Churn, Two In A Gig.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

A Fig For A Kiss by Providence
ALive by Kúla
As Long As You're Enjoying Yourself by John Brennan And John McGillian
At Complete Ease by John Carty And Brian Rooney
Barefoot On The Altar by Chulrua
Boxed by Anders Trabjerg
Celtic Contraband by Michel Bonamy
Celtic Passion by John Williams, Dean Magraw
Celtic Sessions by William Coulter
Cuisle by Angela Deane
Don't Touch The Elk by Niall Keegan
Fiddledance by Frank Ferrel And Friends
Flower Of The Red Mill by Sarah Blair
Fort Of Kincora by Martin Connolly
Full Gael by Full Gael
Happy To Meet, Sorry To Part by Peter McAlinden
Harpes D'Irlande by Katrien Delavier
Hill 16 by Hill 16
Irish Fiddle Solos by Pete Cooper
Kids In A Candy Store by Rick May And Gil Yslas
Kilkenny Road by Kilkenny Road
Live At Trinity Hall by Trinity Hall Session Players
No Trouble At All by Noel Lenaghan
Out Of Ireland by Mick Moloney
Sean Potts by Sean Potts And Paddy Moloney
Selkie by Mick Conneely
Shadows On Stone by Matt Molloy
Slow And Easy by John Weed And Stuart Mason
Some Foriegn Land by Colcannon
Step Into The Beat: Modern Irish Dance Music by Ellery Klein And Ryan Lacey
Step This Way by David Lindquist
Sweet Nyaa by Moving Cloud
The 'Reel' Thing by Wendy MacIsaac
The Green House by Grey Larsen And Paddy League
The Irish Folk Festival '01 by Various Artists
The Jig's Up by Anne-Marie O'Farrell
The Mad Skeleton by Fianna
The Poison Glen (Gleann Nimhe) by Altan
The Pretty Blue Seagull by Frank Claudy, Paul De Grae, Patrick O'Dea, Anne And Joe Skelton
The Return From Fingal by Seamus Ennis
The Sligo Maid by Carmel Gunning
The World Turned Upside Down by Patti O'Doors
Time Out Of Mind by Chris Ormston
Track Across The Deep by London Lasses And Pete Quinn
Traditional Music From Cape Breton by Various Artists
Traditionally Yours by Winston 'Scotty' Fitzgerald
Until The Cows Come Home by 2duos
Up And Away by Paul Smyth
Up At The Crack Of Noon by Ciúnas
Virginia by Birkin Tree
Where Else Would You Be by The Pub Scouts
Wooden Flute Obsession: Volume 2, Disc 2 by Various Artists

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

A Fig For A Kiss

This is a fine concertina tune. I have it in E Min with C# accidental in bar 2 and 6 of the B part. The quick C's in the end bars of each part then become C natural which is so good on the concertina as the C can be picked up (between the B and the d )from the G row down towards the F#. I also have the bar 7 as "gfe fed edB" which leads nicely into" / B{c natural}dB AGF E3//" The timing is abit tricky but not so once you have got it. Providence have a great album "A fig For A Kiss" with Micheal O'Raghallaigh on concertina. I highly recommend it!!

# Posted on June 16th 2002 by jeanette

Grey Larsen's Variation

I learned Grey Larsen's version of this tune first and later found it's fairy uncommon and nobody plays it. But anyway it's a very interesting and attractive version, so I will give you a taste of it. For example, he plays the last two bars like this: ...|gfe agf edc|BdB AGF E3||... This variation definitely makes the tune more fun to play. Just try playing it by yourself.

# Posted on April 21st 2004 by slainte

Nice ending

I learnt this tune off a friend a few years ago and the setting I learnt has the nicest ending that I've come across but I don't know where he got it from: |g2e g2e ede|f2d dcd fga|gBe fAd eEG|B/c/dB AGF E...

# Posted on May 21st 2004 by Dr. Dow

slip jigs to go in a set with "fig for a kiss"

So I bought 10 tin whistles for $40.00 for the family. Our 3 year old and 5 year old instantly turned their whistles into swords and the 3 year old's is already bent beyond playability. They sure had fun for awhile though.... Now it's back to tinkertoy swords.

My 17 year old & I decided that we could devote a bit of time on Wednesday evenings to learning one tune a week on the tin whistle, and last week (when we decided this) we muddled our way through "Fig for a Kiss". After 35 years of playing guitar, it is so easy to play it any any octave, any position, and even simultaneously accompany myself and carry on a conversation while playing it on guitar. On tin whistle I feel like I am running an obstacle course over sea rocks wearing soap slippers. What a blast!

I tried searching through some of the past discussions on tune sets, coz I am sure I have seen some suggestions here, but could not find them.

Any suggestions for what other tunes traditionally go in a set with "Fig for a Kiss"?

Thanks.

# Posted on November 3rd 2004 by ceciltguitar

Re: slip jigs to go in a set with "fig for a kiss"

Hey, I sometimes use my flute as a light-sabre! I do the *mmmwwwwmmmmm* sound effects and everything. Except I don't actually hit things with it, cos despite my glee in all things comicbooky part of me is always aware of the fact that I haven't even finished paying the damn stick off :-)

But when I get the Seery, watch out world! (well, watch out furniture, and housemates really)

More to the point, Matt Molloy plays Fig for a Kiss with Pol Ha'penny. Which isn't on this site (but the segue isn't the most natural anyway, so it prolly wouldn't have helped much).

Wow, that was spectacularly unhelpful, wasn't it? Let me go out on limb and suggest you go from 'Fig' into 'Up Sligo'.

# Posted on November 3rd 2004 by Q

Tunes to go with "a fig for a kiss"

I have a CD by a group from Cincinnati called Dark Moll. Their CD "Morning Dew" has "A Fig for a Kiss" between "Garrett's Wedding" by Paddy Moloney and the traditional "The Kid on the Mountain." In the notes they apologize for breaking some rule or other, but the set works pretty well.

# Posted on November 17th 2004 by aquinas9us

Re: slip jigs to go in a set with "fig for a kiss"

I've been playing the slip jig with another "Na Ceannabhan Bhana": http://thesession.org/tunes/display.php/612 Two tunes really goes nicely together.

# Posted on November 17th 2004 by slainte

A Fig for a Kiss

I tried putting together some variations, which I heard from the playing of various musicians.

K: Edor
F|G2B E2B BAG|FGA D2A AGF|GAB E2B BAG|BdB AGF E2F|
G2B e2B BAG|FGA D2A AGF|GAB E2B BAG|BdB AGF E2||
f|g2e g2e edB|f2d dcd fga|g2e g2e edB|dBG GBd e2f|
g2e g2e edB|f2d dcd fga|gfe agf edc|BdB AGF E2||

# Posted on December 21st 2004 by slainte

It almost sounds like a hop jig, this one, but once you get into the B-part it starts to sound a bit rushed. Maybe it would work if you simplified it down to the bare bones. I think it works better at a steady slip jig pace.

# Posted on May 25th 2006 by Dr. Dow

Just shut up and play! :-)

# Posted on May 25th 2006 by slainte

I bet you ichiman yen I've played more than you today :-p

# Posted on May 25th 2006 by Dr. Dow

"A Fig For a Kiss" ~ and a bit more bounce:

K: E Dorian
|: G2 B E2 B BAG | F2 A D2 d AGF |
G2 B E2 B BAG | B/c/dB A>GF E3 :|
|: g2 e g2 e e2 B | f2 d f2 d A2 f |
1 g2 e g2 e e2 B | d>BG G2 d e2 f :|
2 g2 e f2 d e2 c | BdB A>GF E3 ||

# Posted on May 25th 2006 by ceolachan

I also sometimes play the opening bar of the B-Part so:

| g3 g2 e B2 e |

# Posted on May 25th 2006 by ceolachan

Oh yeah, and by the way lads, shouldh't you both be tucked up in bed? ~ for the good of international relationships?

# Posted on May 25th 2006 by ceolachan

A Fig For A Kiss

Hey 'c' you've inspired me to have a go:

X: 1
T: A Fig For A Kiss
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: hop jig
K: Edor
G2B E2B B2G|F2A D2A A2F|G2B E2B B2c|1 d2B AGF E2F:|2 d2B AGF E3||
g2e g2e e2g|f2d f2d def|g2e g2e e2c|d2B A2B def|
g2e g2e e2g|f2d f2d def|g2e f2d e2c|d2B AGF E2F||

# Posted on May 26th 2006 by Dr. Dow

"A Kiss of a Fig" ~ a worrying title...

Give this a swing, another few ways with the first two measures of the B-part, which could be walked this way as a second ending leading into that slide down by thirds:

| g2 e e2 g B2 g | f2 d d2 f A2 a |

~ or stay awhile with the first beat of both measures:

| g3 e2 g B2 g | f3 d2 f A2 a | g2 e fed e3 | d2 B AGF E3 ||

# Posted on May 26th 2006 by ceolachan

And the complete 'Grey Larsen' version which he writes that he got from the playing of Tom Byrne:

X: 1
T: A Fig For A Kiss
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
K: Edor
|: G2B E2B BAG | F2A D2A AFD | G2B E2B BAG |
[1 B/c/dB AGF E2F :|2 B/c/dB AGF E3 ||
|: g2e g2e edB | f3 dfa afd |1 g2e g2e edB |
AB/c/d efd e2f :|2 gfe agf gfe|dcB AGF E3||

# Posted on October 11th 2006 by NeilC

Duplication ~ another key, another take: "The Old Dutch Churn"

Key signature: g minor
Submitted on August 31st 2007 by Fellenbaum.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/7664

This melody can be taken as Dorian or minor, E (# or ##) or G (b or bb)...

# Posted on November 30th 2007 by ceolachan

Roche II, page 25, tune #258 "A Fig for a Kiss" / "Two in a Gig"

# Posted on July 18th 2008 by ceolachan

Fig for a kiss

1st tune in this set:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLeCLRK8Ws8

# Posted on October 9th 2008 by davydd

"This tune has been added to 666 tunebooks."

Eep! ;-)

# Posted on June 29th 2011 by Whiddler